The Spice Girls

The characters in the story are a product of my own imagination and hopefully have no resemblance to any living persons for that matter. But if it does it is entirely coincidental. Some of the places mentioned are either fictitious and or adapted to suit the plot of the story.

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank my beta, Rose, for helping me out with this piece.

Also, my apologies for the long silence. My writers' block was mainly due to a ‘supposed' fan, Violethill, who stole my story, Afterglow and other works from hardworking authors, and posted it on a file sharing site. It's so discouraging to have that happen and for a while it made me wonder if it was really worth it pinching time away from my family and friends to do this. Contrary to what she and others like her might think, they are NOT doing us any favors by reposting them illegally. You're stealing and that's all there is to it. Every piece of writing comes with a disclaimer, if you can read a book; you're surely more than capable of reading and understanding the disclaimer too.

Thank you to all the readers who support our small community of lesbian fiction writers by buying our books and reading our stories. You're truly amazing and make it all worth it!

SW

Archiving: Please take note that this work is copy written and should not be posted anywhere else without the writer's expressed permission.

Feedback: Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, so feel free to drop a line or two at steinwillard80@gmail.com or sent me a friend request on Facebook.

The area was dimly-lit and it wasn't an area any of the three women usually frequented. Mouths agape they stared at the name of the establishment which flashed boldly in neon colors.

“What the hell? Where are we? No…Why are we here?”

The women looked at each other in utter confusion and back at the name on the building. Pushing back her dark locks, Larissa, a police detective, smiled at the other two women.

“Well, I guess you don't have to be a detective to realize that this is not a coincidence.” She studied the entrance to the bar.

“Did you all get the same message to meet here?” Yvonne asked. She was an investment banker and dressed the part. Compared to the others, Yvonne looked completely out of place with her Armani power suit and thousand dollar haircut. Compared to her, the other two women looked almost frumpy. Larissa was dressed in jeans and a tan leather jacket whereas Christine looked every part the laid-back veterinarian in comfortable jeans and a baggy t-shirt.

“I don't find it strange meeting Leonie here. We always arrange a night out on the second Friday of the month.” Christine rolled her strong shoulders, like a boxer getting ready for a fight. “But Larissa's right, meeting you two here is too strange to be a coincidence. Shall we see what's waiting for us inside?”

The other two shrugged and followed Christine inside.

*****************************

“Ah, here they are,” Susan said as she came to her feet. She watched with evident pleasure as the detective took in the smoke-filled interior. After eleven years of marriage, Susan was still head over heels in love with Larissa. Her wife was the sweetest, most considerate person she knew and to top that she was a great parent. Their twin sons could attest to that. Larissa tries as much as she can to spend at least two weekends in the month with their sons going to baseball games or even just spending the weekend at the pool with them.

Lady Luck was smiling on her thirteen years ago when, as the principal of J. C. Howard High, she and a number of her peers were invited to a brunch meeting with the Mayor and a few of Chicago's leading detectives. The tall, dark female detective with the golden eyes immediately caught her attention. She was beside herself with joy when after the meeting; the detective came over to her to talk about her school's drugs and gang policy. They parted that day with the promise that Larissa would drop by the next week to review their policy and make recommendations. Once Susan had the detective in her lair, there was no escape for the gorgeous Latina.

Larissa's head turned and their eyes met, Susan grinned at the mixture of confusion, surprise and pleasure she read in her wife's gaze. Larissa turned to her companions and Susan chuckled when she read almost the same mixture of emotions on the other two women's faces. The three pushed their way through the throng of women to where Susan stood.

Susan pulled Larissa in a tight hug, kissing her gently. “Hi, baby.”

“Hi yourself, gorgeous,” Larissa purred in that sexy husky voice of hers. “So, tell me what we're doing at a place like this on a Friday evening?”

Leaning against her wife's sturdy frame, Susan batted her eyelashes at Larissa. “I thought we needed a change of scenery and this place came to mind. What do you think?”

Larissa's hands moved down her hips, causing Susan to shiver. “As long you're here with me, I'll be fine. What are you drinking?”

“I was waiting for you to get here. Let's go see what's there.”

Holding hands, they made their way over to the bar.

*********************************

Gwen was nervous.

None of her friends knew how difficult it had been for her to get her wife to meet her here. Yvonne was always busy and it was that hectic schedule of hers that had them stuck where they were now. Two months ago, they decided to go see a marriage counsellor together, hoping to salvage something of their crumbling seven year marriage. Now, three weeks later, they've still made no progress. Yvonne still spent all of her days at the office and most of her nights locked up in her study. Three days ago, Gwen finally decided to move out of the main bedroom to the guestroom. If Yvonne had noticed, she hadn't said anything.

When her friends came up with this new adventure, Gwen wasn't ready to disclose the state of her marriage. She felt someone stopping next to her chair and she slowly came to her feet, wiping sweaty hands on her skirt. Yvonne looked at her from her great height, her dark eyes unreadable. Gwen couldn't help but think that Yvonne reminded her at that moment of a character in one of the manuscripts she was editing. The author of the book, wanted to experiment with a more arresting character. In his words, he wanted to recreate the dark, commanding character that was Heathcliff in Bronte's Wuthering Heights . In the end he came up with this dark, brooding female executive, who at this very moment could just as well have been her wife.

“Good evening.”

Gwen almost grimaced at the formal greeting from Yvonne. “Hi, Yvonne, shall I get you a drink?”

Yvonne's eyes left hers to look around. “How come when they show strip club scenes on TV there are always more waitresses than dancers working the floor? Do we have to get the drinks from the bar?”

Gwen sighed deeply. “What would you like to drink? The usual?”

“You still remember the usual?” came the cool reply. Gwen pointedly ignored it.

She was not going to get into a fight with Yvonne here. Yvonne was a public figure and if she wasn't going to try and keep her dirty laundry from being aired in public, Gwen would do it for her.

“I'll be back with your drink,” Gwen said as she turned and walked to the bar to get bourbon. While there, she ordered herself a shot of tequila which she tossed back quickly.

“Easy there, girl. The night's still young.”

Gwen turned to find Susan leaning on the bar next to her. Susan was practically glowing and it was obvious Larissa's presence had everything to do with it. Her quiet, solemn study of her friend seemed to clue Susan in that something wasn't right.

“You okay, Gwen?” Susan asked as she leaned closer.

Gwen shrugged. “I will be as soon as I can get more to drink. When are we getting on with it?”

Susan looked behind her to where Larissa was busy ordering their drinks. “You can tell me it's none of my business, but I think something's not right with you and Yvonne. Am I right?”

“I don't want to talk about it, Susan. Yvonne's waiting for her drink.”

Susan put a hand on Gwen's arm. “Let her wait. Is there something I can do?”

Gwen was very close to tears now. “Yes. Let's just get this done so I can go home. Please.”

Without looking back, she walked to where Yvonne sat, looking completely out of place in her power suit and rigid bearing. She held out the glass.

“Your drink.”

Yvonne came to her feet. “I'm sorry, Gwen. I…I didn't mean to say what I said earlier.”

Gwen waved the apology away. “I believe we are way past the pretence stage. You meant it, Yvonne, and that's how I understood it. Now please, let's just get through this night by trying to act civil around our friends.”

A soft shriek sounded and Gwen's attention was drawn to a couple nearby.

*************************************

“Show me,” Leonie urged, pulling on her wife's arm.

“No. Not here,” Christine hissed, a blush riding high on her cheeks.

Leonie pulled her wife closer so she could look into her soft blue eyes. She had fallen for the veterinarian at first sight nine years ago when Christine treated her pet rabbit, Juju, for constipation. She was beside herself with worry over Juju, but it changed the moment she met the kind eyes of the painfully shy vet. Throughout the examination, Leonie had stared at the woman fascinated by her gentle hands and manner. She's always been bold and knowing that she wanted the shy vet, Leonie quickly invited Christine to her coffee shop for a free meal once a week for a month by way of gratitude for saving Juju. She omitted however that she would also be partaking in the free meal. After their fourth ‘date', Leonie came to the conclusion that she was not ever planning on letting Christine slip through her fingers and made work of it.

“Please show me, baby,” she pleaded softly as she pushed her hips into the lanky vet's crotch. She chuckled when Christine blushed even harder as she looked around the crowded room. “Don't worry. Its girls' night tonight and no one will think it strange if I humped my sexy wife.”

Christine sighed softly before she lifted her slightly oversized t-shirt, revealing a delicious six pack which made Leonie drool every time. But what caught her attention was the tell-tale bulge in Christine's tight black jeans. She reached out for it, but Christine quickly grabbed her hand in a tight grip.

“Are you happy now?”

“Far from it,” Leonie purred as she leered at her wife. “I'll have to inspect it closer…later.”

The light dimmed without warning and a loud thumping bass filled the room. Leonie pushed Christine into a chair and settled herself on Christine's lap. She grinned when she heard a soft gasp escape her wife's lips.

Oh, this night was going to be so much fun.

*********************************

Yvonne, Christine and Larissa sat together nursing their drinks, but their eyes were riveted on the semi-clad woman writhing on the stage. Their respective partners had grabbed each other a while back for a group bathroom visit. Larissa was the first to break the silence.

“I wonder what we'll have to give up for having been brought here. There's just no way Susan would allow me to ogle at a strange half-naked woman without wanting something in return.”

Yvonne was quiet as she sipped on her third bourbon of the night. She had taken off her suit jacket earlier and opened a few extra buttons on her shirt to counteract the heat in the club. Her eyes sized up the woman. The girl had a gorgeous body, but was definitely not setting of any bells in Yvonne's nether region.

“Maybe she just wants you to ‘relax' a little before she drags you home.” Even as she said it, Yvonne couldn't help but feel a deep sadness come over her. Considering the state of their marriage, Yvonne was more convinced now that Gwen simply invited her here to save face. She knew that as sure as the sun would come up tomorrow, that once they got home tonight, Gwen would lock herself up in her room and work on whatever manuscript she was editing at the moment. She in turn would have a few more drinks in her office before she turned on the business news channel and fall asleep on the couch. She gulped down her drink. Not a day goes by that she asked herself how they'd come to where they were now. When they'd met it was inevitable for them to fall in love. Gwen was beautiful, smart and funny, everything Yvonne ever wanted in a woman. They were happy once, ecstatically so. They used to spend their Sundays lazing in the park as Gwen read her parts of the manuscripts she was working on, while Yvonne lay with her head in her lap. Their lovemaking had always been intense and since Gwen was insatiable, they had more sex than they both could handle sometimes. She sighed into her drink. Those times seemed like light years ago.

“I think I know exactly why I was brought here,” Christine said, causing the other two to look at her.

“Why?” Yvonne asked with a frown.

Christine looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping, before she took a deep breath. “Sheaskedmetopackthismorning.”

“What?” Larissa sat up straighter. “Did you just say that you're packing?”

Christine blushed even as she nodded. Yvonne snorted as she rose to her feet.

“You lucky devil. I'm getting more drinks and you better be done with those when I come back.” As she made her way to the bar, Yvonne felt like crying. She'd never thought it would hurt so much to finally realize what she was losing out on.

Back at the table Larissa was still gaping at Christine. “Vonne's right, you are lucky. “ She playfully leered at Christine's crotch, prompting the other woman to cross her legs quickly. “Naughty, Chris. Who would've thought that our shy little vet would agree to something so risqué?”

Christine drained her beer. “Well, you know the things we do for our girls. I couldn't refuse.”

“And she'll repay you fervently for being so accommodating,” Larissa teased.

Yvonne took the moment to return to the table with their drinks. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing much, but I'm sure Chris will tell us more after a couple more drinks. Which is mine?”

A tall, muscular brunette appeared on the stage.

“Welcome to our first girls' only strip night.” Loud clapping and cheering met her words. “The energy is fantastic and the acts, hot and sizzling.” The woman waited patiently for the cheers and whistling to die down. “All the women who performed earlier tonight were all hired for the night, except for our final act. No, don't fret. We'll still have a great party afterwards. As I was saying the final act are collectively known as the Spice Girls.” Another round of cheers and whistling followed. “Ladies, put your hands together for Sage, Ginger and Rosemary.”

The announcer left the stage on a side exit.

********************************

The intro to Christina Aguilera's “Dirty” filled the room. A bright light lit up the entrance to the stage as three dancers stepped out. Dressed in tiny red boy shorts with a sailor top and six inch heels, they swaggered to the edge of the stage. In unison they bent their lanky bodies touching their toes, giving the audience a clear view of their cleavage. They gracefully spun around and did the same, showing their shapely buns and wiggling it for effect.

The three women sitting at the table surged to their feet instantaneously.

“What the hell!” Larissa exclaimed. Her name was blazoned in gold letters on one of the dancer's rounded butt. Confused she looked at the other dancers and read both Christine and Yvonne's names. Larissa found herself struggling to breathe as she realized who the redheaded dancer was.

“Damn,” Yvonne shouted as she pushed through the gathering throng at the edge of the stage. Could it be? The dancers slid gracefully to the floor. Lying on their backs, with their legs spread, they thrust their hips upwards. Her eyes roamed over the dancer closest to her, the brunette who had ‘Yvonne's' blazoned on her shapely behind. Yvonne felt faint when she spotted the teardrop tattoo on the dancer's inner thigh. With someone pushing against her, she was about to lash out when she recognized Christine.

Christine knew her mouth was hanging open as she stared at the blonde dancer. The dancer rolled onto her stomach as she grinded her hips into the floor. She gasped when the blonde head lifted and she stared into familiar dove grey eyes. The dancer winked at her and any doubt as to who the blonde was, fled from her mind.

With superb agility the dancers rose to their feet, their hands dipping between their thighs as they threw their heads back, their mouths wide open in a silent gasp of ecstasy.

The redhead broke away from the group and surging into the air, grabbed the pole with both hands as she inverted her slender body and slowly slithered down the gleaming pole. Larissa threw her head back and let out a piercing whistle, unable to keep the building pressure inside her. She watched her wife roll away from the pole to splay her legs as she grabbed her breasts and lifted them to her mouth. For a brief moment she was happy that she'd locked her gun in the car's glove compartment for at the rate her body was heating up she was sure it would've gone off by itself.

A baby dyke with bright green hair called Gwen over and when Gwen complied, the girl pushed a ten dollar bill into the dancer's tiny briefs. Yvonne saw red. She grabbed the leering girl by the arm and roughly pushed her aside. It was as if the floodgates were opened by the girl's action and more butches pushed closer, waving dollar bills at the dancers. With a muttered curse, Yvonne went for her own wallet. She pulled out a wad of notes and roughly pushing the competition for Gwen attention away and when Gwen was close enough, pushed the money into her wife's briefs, right in the front. A cheer went up at that and for a moment Gwen's eyes met hers, an unreadable look in her eyes. The moment was lost when another woman waved a wad of cash in her hand and Gwen slithered over to her. Trembling with acute arousal, Yvonne pushed her way to where Gwen had moved, mowing the other women down as she went. The woman who'd waved Gwen over tried to copy Yvonne's earlier move, intending to push the notes down the front of Gwen's briefs. Just as Yvonne was about to slap the woman's hand away, Gwen moved away, offering the woman her cleavage instead. Not placated at all by that, Yvonne shot the woman a lethal glare, causing her to back away quickly. Gwen grinned and came to kneel before Yvonne, grabbing Yvonne's head and rubbing her breasts into the executive's face.

Christine let out a tortured groan when Leonie slid over to her on her stomach. She sat up and using her hands, hoisted her lower body off the floor, her legs splayed wide as she pressed her crotch in Christine's face. Throwing caution and propriety to the wind, Christine placed a chaste kiss on her wife's silky thigh. The crowd went wild as they threw dollar bills at Leonie. Christine licked her lips as a stream of erotic images flashed through her mind. She met her wife's eyes again and this time the desire in Leonie's, now stormy grey eyes, was unmistakeable.

On the other side of the stage, Larissa grabbed a large butch closer as she pushed her badge into the woman's face after the woman had made a grab for Susan.

“Back off,” she hissed in an icy tone. The butch quickly threw her hands up in surrender and moved away. The glint of the badge did what Moses did with his staff at the Red Sea, for the space on both sides of Larissa was suddenly less populated as the revellers eyed her warily. Susan sensually crawled over to where she stood and Larissa watched with bated breath as Susan rose until she was kneeling before her. Keeping eye contact Susan pushed her hand into the front of her briefs; a look of pure hunger flashed over her face before she pulled out her hand and pressed it against Larissa's lips. The detective quickly opened her mouth and hummed when she tasted the intoxicating essence of her wife. Just as suddenly the hand was pulled away. Susan rose to her feet to join Gwen and Leonie as they stood side by side, gyrating their hips to the thumbing bass of the song.

In perfect synchronization the women swaggered back to the edge of the stage and struck a pose, before they turned away, giving the audience their backs. The next moment three sailor tops flew over their shoulders.

The music stopped and the only sound that could be heard was that of tables and chairs overturning as the crowd scurried for the discarded items.

************************************

In the dressing room, Leonie grabbed her two friends close.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” she whispered in a voice heavy with emotion. When she pulled back she didn't try to hide the tears running down her cheeks. “I owe you big time.”

Susan smiled as she gave Leonie a gentle kiss on the cheek. “That's what friends are for, girl.”

“Susan's right, Leo. We do what we have to do. This is important to you. We have each other's back.” The last sentence came out as a sob. Gwen quickly turned away. “I'm sorry.”

“What's wrong, Gwen.” Susan inquired gently.

Gwen shook her head. “It's nothing. Really. I just feel a little overwhelmed by all this.”

Susan pulled Gwen into a tight hug. “You know you can trust us, sweetie. Is it Yvonne?”

Gwen pushed out of the hug and pulled off the dark wig. “I moved out of our bedroom three days ago.”

“Oh no, Gwen,” Leonie exclaimed as she took her friend's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I'm so sorry to hear that. What happened?”

“We…we just grew apart. Yvonne started spending more time at the office, some nights she even sleeps over there. I felt so alone and forsaken.” Gwen took a deep rasping breathe. “Not even my work can keep me from constantly thinking about this.”

Leonie cocked her head slightly, a warm smile on her face. “But she came tonight. Is that not a good sign?”

“I left her a message with her secretary saying that I needed her help urgently and gave the address. I wasn't even sure she was going to show up.” Fresh tears coursed down Gwen's cheeks and she was immediately pulled into a group hug. She desperately wanted to believe that Yvonne's presence here and even the way she responded during the show, was a positive sign. But she knew Yvonne. They had agreed to pretend in front of their friends. Tonight they will both disappear into their separate bedrooms. Yvonne might probably lock herself into her study and do whatever it is she does in there.

“Yvonne acted very possessively tonight,” Leonie murmured softly.

“It was just an act. I've asked her to…to act normal tonight.”

The arms around her tightened further.

*****************************

The bartender turned away after refilling the glasses but Christine's hand on her arm stopped her.

“Please leave the bottle.” She went for her wallet and sighed when it came up empty. Every last dollar including her credit card had been shoved down Leonie's skimpy briefs. “Can anyone help me out here?”

Yvonne pulled out her wallet and took out her credit card and pushed it over to the bartender.

“I got it.”

The bartender nodded and moved away. Just as Yvonne reached for the bottle a strong, tanned hand intercepted. Looking up she met the flashing dark eyes of the woman who'd made the announcements earlier.

“Had I known you were such an unruly bunch, I would've reconsidered your wives requests. But they generously offered their tips to pay for the damage thanks to the riot you've caused.” The woman tipped the bottle over Yvonne's glass and filled it. “I hope you don't take it personal, but I'd appreciate it greatly if you three never set foot in my bar again.” She put the bottle down and walked away to mingle with the crowd.

The scramble for the dancers' tops had ended in the destruction of five tables and three chairs. The debris was quickly removed and the dance floor opened. In a corner of the bar, a couple of bruised partygoers were receiving first aid from the waitresses. Except for her bruised knuckles, Yvonne felt fine. Larissa was actually the worse off of them all. As a law enforcement officer, she had tried to break up the fight only to take the brunt of it in the end. Chris, like Larissa, sported a bruised eye, but otherwise looked okay too.

“I refuse to believe that we are to blame for this. We didn't start the fight,” Larissa fumed and slammed the bourbon in her glass down, grimacing as the liquid burned down her throat.

“Then why go after a piece of material if you could have the real thing?” Susan‘s voice sounded from behind them.

The three women at the bar twisted around to find their wives standing there. Dressed in jeans and t-shirts it was impossible to reconcile them with the teasing, glistening vixens of earlier. Larissa stumbled over to her wife and was quickly wrapped in a gentle hug. Susan brushed her lips over her wife's bruised eye.

“Does it hurt much?” she asked tenderly as she studied the injured area.

“The kiss helped,” Larissa said and earned herself another kiss.

Leonie studied Christine closely. The vet ducked her head to avoid eye contact, but Leonie put her finger under Christine's chin and lifted her wife's head. Staring into contrite blue eyes, she smiled slowly.

“That was such a butch thing to do, babes.” She bit down on her lower lip, her eyes darkening rapidly. “I'm so turned on now.” She almost burst out laughing at the astonished look on her wife's face.

“You…you mean you're not angry?” Christine asked carefully.

“We can talk about it later, but for now, I want to drag you home and…”

OK, ok, ok…we get it!” Yvonne cut in curtly. She grabbed the bottle and brought it to her lips, swallowing deeply. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but especially Gwen's.

“Did you come with your car?” Gwen asked quietly.

Turning to face her wife, Yvonne shrugged. “I'll leave it here.”

Gwen's face was unreadable. “I don't think it'll be safe to leave it in this neighbourhood. I'll drive it back and pick mine up tomorrow.”

Yvonne nodded as she looked at Gwen. This was the first time in a very long time that they talked like this. Usually it was just a curt greeting or a few necessary words. They rarely engage at home unless except for meal times, which they both try to avoid at all times.

“I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Gwen gave a curt nod before she turned to talk to Leonie. Yvonne poured herself another drink and did the same for the other two. Larissa managed to pull herself out of Susan's arms to down her drink. Grimacing slightly she looked up at her wife.

“Ready to go home?”

“Yes. I'm ready when you are.”

After a quick round of goodbyes and hugs, Christine pulled Leonie to the exit. They had barely settled in the car when Leonie's hand cupped Christine's crotch. In the privacy of their car and a more than a little tipsy, Christine grinned at her wife.

“You wanna see it?”

In the overhead light, Christine saw Leonie's face darken with lust. Not waiting for a reply, she unzipped her jeans and pushed Leonie's hand inside. Their gazes held as Leonie's hand gently caressed the head of the dildo. Christine sucked in her breath as she watched Leonie caressing the phallus.

“Where're we going,” Larissa asked when she saw Susan make a left turn. “This is not the way home.”

Susan grinned. “That's because we're not going home, sweetie.”

Larissa looked around her. With the neighbourhood they'd just left, this area was also not one she would associate with her wife. But slightly intrigued, she kept quiet. Her eyebrows shot up when Susan pulled into the parking lot of a motel. When she looked her wife, Susan's profile gave nothing away. Putting the car in park, Susan turned to her.

“You ready?”

“Uhm…yes.” Confused she followed behind her wife who produced a key and opened the door right opposite their parking space. Susan entered and flicked on the light, looking around for any suspicious movements; Larissa followed her in and came to a shocked halt. The room was decorated like a harem with pillows on the floor and silk drapes, fastened so it fell from the ceiling in the form of a Bedouin tent. In the corner of the so-called tent, Larissa could see a chilled bottle of champagne and strawberries. Her jaw unhinged when her gaze fell on a low table next to the makeshift bed and she saw an array of sex toys. She turned wide eyes on her wife.

“Baby?”

Susan grinned lasciviously. “Scared yet?” A wave of heat rushed to her nether region as she watched her wife sashay over to the toys. She picked up a vibrator and tossed it from one hand to the other. “Tonight you're all mine. Lock the door and come over here, querida .”

Larissa felt a ripple ran under her skin at the endearment. Susan knows that hearing her speak Spanish makes Larissa go mad with desire. She quickly turned to lock the door and in one smooth move dropped her leather jacket on the floor.

“Easy, darling. We have the whole night.”

“And the boys?” She shocked herself that she could remember her sons even as her brain was slowly melting away.

“My mother took them for the night,” Susan said. She pulled her t-shirt over her head, exposing pert, braless breasts. “She's only bringing them back tomorrow evening.”

********************************

Yvonne was looking out the window, but kept a close eye on Gwen out the corner of her eye. They were the last to leave the bar. An obviously horny Leonie had dragged Chris home followed by Susan and a slightly drunk Larissa. Gwen had waited patiently, and in silence, for her to finish her drink. It was while they both sat there studying the other patrons that a beautiful brunette made her way over to Gwen. The look in the woman's eyes was so depraved that for a moment Yvonne was stunned. Once her shock had worn off, she had surged to her feet and grabbed the woman by the collar of her shirt. The bar owner was on the scene quickly before any words were exchanged. Two minutes later, both Gwen and she were standing on the pavement, an entourage of bouncers making sure that they didn't try to steal back into the bar. Embarrassed, Yvonne had avoided looking at Gwen who held out her hand for the car keys. Five minutes into their drive home, Gwen had still not spoken a word to her yet. A red light came up and Gwen slowed down to a stop. It was now or never. Yvonne turned to her wife.

“I'm sorry, Gwen.”

The blonde turned to look at her. In the dimly lit interior of the car it was impossible to make out the expression in her eyes. Gwen studied her for a long moment.

Gwen shrugged and turned her attention back to the road. The light was still on red. The blonde sat quietly looking out ahead.

“Gwen?”

A deep sigh came from the woman. “What do you want me to say, Yvonne?” Gwen turned to look at her again. “To apologise for ‘everything' is too vague. I don't know what to answer to that. What exactly are you apologising for?”

Raking her fingers through her hair, Yvonne bit down on her lower lip. “I apologise for letting things get this far. I apologise for being a coward.”

“A coward?”

“Yes, a coward. I didn't know how to come back to you.” Yvonne took a shuddering breath. “I was so lost and it made me scared, but not as scared as losing you.”

“I'm still within the speed limit,” Gwen said quietly. She turned the wheel and the car sped down a gravel road. Looking around, Yvonne realized where they were going. The car came to a halt. Gwen immediately exited the car and slammed the door shut behind her, making Yvonne jump in her seat. She watched, anxiously, as Gwen walked around the car to stand in front of it.

Exhaling noisily, Yvonne got out of the car and walked to where Gwen stood. In silence they took in the view of the city. It was slightly overcast and the city lights shone brightly in contrast. Gwen rubbed her arms and Yvonne quickly took of her jacket and draped it around the blonde's shoulders. Gwen didn't utter a word instead she appeared completely fixated by the view before her.

“Talk to me, Gwen. Say something…anything.”

Gwen pulled the jacket tighter around her body. “I moved out of our bedroom three days ago. Did you even notice my absence?”

Yvonne's heart jerked in her chest. How could she not have noticed? It was already past midnight on Tuesday evening when she found their bed unoccupied. Thinking that Gwen was probably still busy in her office, she had turned in. She didn't know what woke her around dawn, but looking, and finding the space next to her empty, she had left the bedroom in search of Gwen. The study was dark. Next she searched the four guestrooms and found Gwen asleep in the guestroom on the opposite wing of the house. Hurt and scared beyond words, she had grabbed a blanket from the linen cupboard and locked herself in her study. She had spent the past three nights there only entering the master bedroom to shower and get a change of clothes.

Were things really that bad between them that Gwen would think her so heartless and ignorant not to care if she had moved from their marital bed?

“I went looking for you around dawn and found you sleeping in the fourth guestroom.” Yvonne folded her arms around herself. It was a little chilly. “I also moved out immediately and have been sleeping in my study ever since.”

Gwen's head jerked to the side and even though she couldn't clearly see Gwen's expression, she could tell that the blonde was surprised.

*******************************

Leonie shrieked and made a wild dash for the front door, Chris short on her heels. She yelped when the vet caught up with her and grabbed her in her arms, lifting her off her feet.

“Chris, the neighbours will talk?”

“They'll have a lot more to talk about if I were to take you on the lawn,” Chris growled as she made for the corner of the house.

“Where're we going?” Leonie asked breathlessly.

“Some place I can ravish you without any interruptions.”

“There's no one home but us, silly. There won't be any interruptions.”

“Well, I'm not taking any chances,” Chris said without breaking stride.

Leonie shivered at the dark look of desire on her wife's face. She twisted her head to see where they were headed and blinked in surprise. “The shed? You're taking me to the shed?”

Chris smiled. “Nothing wrong with the shed. It's soundproof.”

The door to the shed was kicked open and Leonie looked around in astonishment. Small colourful electric lanterns hung from the ceiling. The wooden floor of the shed, which doubled as a home office for Chris, was strewn with rose petals leading to a large double bed mattress. The makeshift bed was draped in thick, soft fleece blankets. Leonie turned to Chris.

“Oh baby, you did all this? For me?”

Chris didn't answer immediately as she put Leonie on her feet and urgently began to pull down the zipper on her wife's jeans.

“Yes, but I didn't know we'd have to go to that bar first.” Chris lifted her head from where she was struggling to wiggle the tight pants from Leonie's hips. “Please help me.”

Leonie, utterly charmed by the pleading look in her wife's eyes, kissed her gently. “Yes, baby.”

************************************

The cold was sobering her up fast, but Yvonne knew instinctively that if she walked away now…even to just go sit in the car…she would be losing her one and only chance to fix this mess. So instead, she steeled herself against the cool breeze.

The silence stretched.

“Why did you come to the bar tonight, Yvonne?”

The question, so unexpected, made Yvonne blink in surprise. When her PA told her that there was an urgent call from her wife, she hadn't questioned her at all. She simply grabbed the note and made a dash for her car.

Gwen turned her head slightly to look at her. Yvonne exhaled loudly.

“It was the first time in a very long time that I felt needed…by you.” She turned to face Gwen. “After being such a disappointment of late, I wanted to be there for you.”

“And then you snap at me when I offered to get you a drink?”

Yvonne shook her head. “Meeting everyone else at the bar, it struck me that you didn't really need me after all. Your friends…Leonie and Susan…your support system were there for you.” She scratched her eyebrow with her pinkie. “I guess I was just jealous.”

“You can't be serious?” Gwen snorted.

“Why not? You're my wife and when I married you I promised to take care of you and in turn have you depend on me to be there for you when you needed me.”

Gwen shook her head in disbelief. “Then I suggest you work on your delivery next time. I have it of great authority that intent should equal action. At least I heard it on a courtroom drama.”

It was Yvonne's turn to snort. “I appreciate the heads up.”

A long silence again.

“Why did we meet at that place, if I may ask?” Yvonne rubbed over her arms. It was getting cooler by the minute.

“Chris and Leonie are trying for a baby. They are going to see the doctor tomorrow for the results. ”

Yvonne felt like she was kicked in the gut and her eyes welled up unexpectedly. When things were still good between them, they too had dreamed of trying for a baby once. Yvonne still remembered the delight on Gwen's face when she made the suggestion on their third anniversary. That night they made love until the long shadowy fingers of dawn crept over the horizon. Happy and in love they had curled around each other to sleep when Gwen spoke.

“How did I ever get so lucky?”

For months afterwards Yvonne had walked around with her head in the clouds. Work commitments kept them from taking the final step and as time passed, they stopped talking about the possibility of a child. She braved a quick glance at Gwen. The blonde had a wistful smile on her face. It was obvious that she too remembered that day four years ago.

“I…I still…I,” Yvonne took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. “I would love to be a mom one day.”

Gwen's head snapped in her direction but Yvonne kept her gaze fixed on the scenery before her as she waited for Gwen to break her heart.

******************************

Larissa opened her arms to receive Susan's limp body as her wife collapsed onto her. Susan took a shuddering breath.

“That was awesome, baby,” Susan gasped as she tightened her arms around Larissa.

Larissa smiled broadly. It was great to know that after all these years she could still put on a strapon and dissolve Susan into a screaming, potty-mouthed mess. She gently rolled Susan onto her back and settled herself between her wife's quivering thighs. Since Chris admitted earlier that she was packing, Larissa had been aching to take Susan like this. Their sex life was active and innovative, but with two pairs of small ears in the house most of the time, it wasn't always possible to relive the wild, passionate sex they had before the birth of the twins. It felt like an eternity since last she made love to Susan like this. Larissa pressed her pelvis against Susan and smiled when the act produced a soft groan.

“You're insatiable,” Susan husked even as she grabbed hold of Larissa's shoulders.

Susan's grip on her was like a flash of a green light before her eyes and Larissa's hips began to move. She had to make this count for she had no idea when she would get this opportunity again. Twenty minutes later, after a toe-curling orgasm, she rolled off Susan and cradled her in her arms. They lay in silence as they waited for their breathing to even out. Susan was the first to break the silence, her hand stroking Larissa's hip.

“We need to do this more often.”

“Uhuh and scar the boys for life,” Larisa murmured. She moaned when Susan sat up and reluctantly opened her eyes. Susan studied Larissa through heavy-lidded eyes.

“I want to ask you something and I want you to hear me out first before you say anything.” Susan's eyes were bright with spent passion.

“OK.”

Susan licked over her swollen lips. “How would you feel about having another baby?”

Larissa blinked. “Another baby?”

“Yes, why not? You always said you came from a large family.” Susan sucked on her lower lip.

Pushing up until she rested on her elbows, Larissa looked at her wife. “Well, I don't know.”

“Just think about it. We don't have to. I just thought that maybe we could try for girl.”

“How long, Susan?” Larissa asked quietly. It hurt to think her wife's been yearning for another baby and didn't tell her. They never kept things from each other.

“A year…maybe two.”

Larissa fell back and covered her eyes with her forearm. “That long? Why didn't you tell me earlier?”

She felt Susan lay down next to her. “I wasn't sure you would like the idea. You're so busy and yet you always make time for the boys. A new baby will demand more of your time.”

Turning her head slowly, Larissa met her wife's eyes. Susan quickly looked away, prompting Larissa to reach for Susan. “Hey, look at me.” She waited until Susan turned back to look at her. “I wished you had told me earlier.” She gently kissed Susan. “I hate to think you had kept this inside for so long. I love you and want to know about your dreams and desires always.”

Susan smiled as she lovingly traced Larissa's cheek. “I was wrong to keep this from you and I'm sorry. It will never happen again.”

Larissa leaned in for a tender kiss. “Make sure it doesn't,” she whispered against Susan's lips. “Now tell me about this baby I have to give you.” The brilliance of Susan smile blinded Larissa and filled her with so much love for her wife. How could she ever think she was going to be able to say no to this magnificent woman? Coming from a big family, Larissa wasn't bothered much by the idea of having more children. Susan wouldn't have wanted another child if they couldn't afford or handle another one.

**************************

With a soft sigh, Christine rolled off Leonie and onto her back. This was simply spectacular. Depending on the results tomorrow, they might not get a chance to make love like this again. They were both not young anymore and the doctor had already warned them that should they fall pregnant, they'll have to be prepared for a slightly difficult pregnancy. She lay quietly listening to Leonie ragged breathing. Turning her head, she smiled tenderly. With her hair splayed out on the pillow and her cheeks flushed from spent passion, Leonie looked absolutely gorgeous. She reached out and traced her finger over Leonie's cheek.

“You're so beautiful,” she said softly. She watched as a small smile pulled at the corners of Leonie's lips. “What?”

Leonie turned her head, bringing their faces very close, so close that Christine could feel the blonde's breath on her cheeks.

They lay in silence simply looking at each other. It was Leonie who broke the silence.

“Do you think it worked? Doctor Azzurro said it might not work the first time around.”

Christine snuggled into Leonie's cooling body. “Maybe we should wait and see.” She ran her hand down Leonie's hip. “I'm willing to try until we get it right.”

Leonie's arms curled around her and Christine grunted at the tight squeeze from her wife. Her eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. She was so happy at this very moment. Who'd have thought that her life would change so drastically when the beautiful coffee shop owner walked into her practice nine years ago? She was immediately drawn to the beautiful, teary-eyed woman who was tenderly cradling a rabbit. Luckily the rabbit, only suffered a mild case of constipation which was quickly taken care of. To her shock and pleasure, Leonie had offered her a free meal once a week for a month as a token of appreciation. Being painfully shy and obviously very attracted to the beautiful woman, she had tried to wave off the offer. Leonie, however, insisted and Christine had accepted. It was unnerving at first when Leonie left her staff in charged and joined her for lunch. The second time she dropped into at the coffee shop, she was actually eager to see if the beautiful owner would join her again. She did and kept on doing so for the next two times Christine stopped by to claim her free lunches. Things escalated and soon after their fourth lunch, Leonie asked her out to dinner. The rest is ancient history. Leonie confessed on their first anniversary that the offer was actually more a come on than anything else.

Now nine years later, married and still very much in love, they are trying to start a little family. She blinked hard to stop the tears from falling. She had come a long way from the shy, mousy vet who spent her time between work and the National Geographic channel. She hoisted herself up on her elbow and looked down into Leonie's questioning eyes.

“I love you,” she said earnestly. “I love you with all my heart and I can't wait to start a family with you.”

“Oh, baby,” Leonie murmured as her eyes filled with tears. “I love you too and I know you'll be a wonderful mother.”

Christine rested her forehead against Leonie's as she breathed in her wife's scent.

******************************

A police siren sounded nearby and Yvonne latched on it and followed the sound as it faded into the distance. Anything to take her mind and nerves of the silence coming from the woman standing next to her. Strangely, she didn't feel the cold that much anymore. Her nerves were so stretched that she almost felt numbed.

“It would be unfair to expose a child to the mess that is ‘us',” Gwen said in a flat tone.

At least she wasn't shot down completely or ridiculed, but it still hurt that Gwen didn't exhibit the same exaltation she did four years ago when Yvonne broached the subject first. It was also understandable. They were a complete mess. She pushed a hand through her hair. She felt a little stupid for having brought up the subject now. For all she knew, Gwen could be thinking of a divorce or… Yvonne took a shaky breath. Or maybe there was already someone else with whom she'd rather have a baby with. The pain that cleaved through her at the thought, almost made her double over. What did she expect? They haven't been a couple, in the sense of the word, for months now. Gwen was a beautiful, gentle, intelligent and sexual being. There were many women out there who would jump at a chance to be with a woman like her.

“It's getting cold and you're not wearing a jacket,” Gwen said after a while and walked to the car, getting in.

Yvonne stood outside for a while longer, not ready to return home where they will each disappear into their respective studies. The big mansion, which not so long ago had been their pride and joy, now felt like an empty, bleak shell. Sighing deeply, she turned and walked to the car. The overhead light was on and Gwen sat behind the wheel watching her with hooded eyes.

******************************

Larissa's head trashed from side to side as she savored her wife's expert oral ministrations. Her hand tightened in Susan's hair and she held her wife's head immobile as she pumped her pelvis urgently. Susan was an exquisite lover. At first glance, Susan always appeared rather composed and somewhat aloof. To her shock and immense appreciation, Larissa quickly found out that once the cool mask dropped, a highly sexual being of immeasurable skill emerged. It made her incredibly hot to come down to the kitchen in the mornings to find a power suit cladded Susan, calmly sipping on her coffee, especially, when the night before, Susan had skilfully stripped every little scrap of control from her. If she'd thought that she knew about sex or making love before meeting Susan, Larissa quickly found the error in her assumption. Quite adept in the art of tantric sex, Susan knew how to leave Larissa a quivering, drooling mass more often than not. But then she also liked it a lot when her wife was spurned by pure sexual hunger, as was the case now.

Susan's teeth scraped over her clit and Larissa let out a low moan. She could feel a huge orgasm coming on. Her breath caught when soft sucking noises reached her ear. Susan was well-aware how much Larissa loved hearing her. She stopped her head thrashing movements so she could listen more closely.

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp

Oh no, please not now , Larissa begged. Who would be calling her at his moment? Susan stopped in the act and tried to lift her head.

Susan gave her a questioning look, but before she could explain, the voice of her mother-in-law came over the line.

“Hi, Eveline. I'm so sorry that you're still up at this time.”

“It's no bother.”

Larissa smiled. She really liked her mother in law. Who wouldn't like a woman who had raised such a wonderful daughter? She threw her wife a quick look.

“Thank you for looking after them for the night. Where's George?”

“Out like a light. He's been driving around on his bike with the other kids. I think it tired him out sufficiently.”

“That's good to hear. The reason I wanted to talk to you, Eveline, was to ask if you could tuck Roman in and let us call him on the emergency mobile phone. We could talk to him a little until he sleeps. At least this way you too could also get a little rest.”

“I don't really mind staying up with him, but I think he's been missing you. I will fix him some warm milk and then you can call after ten minutes. He should be all tucked in by then.”

Susan nodded and smiled at Larissa. “That will be fine, mother. Thank you for helping out.”

“It's always a pleasure, honey. Now let me get the little one taken care off so you can talk to him. I'll just quickly put him on so you can tell him yourself. Goodnight, you two.”

“Good night,” they both said.

“Mommy?”

“Grams will fix you a drink now but we'll call you in ten minutes so we can talk a little. Would you like that?”

“Yes, mommy. Talk to you soon.”

“Okay, buddy.” She hung up and turned to Susan. “We have ten minutes. Any ideas on how to kill time?”

Susan grinned as her hand slipped under the cover and between Larissa's legs. “I have a vague idea.”

******************************

There were a few lights on in the mansion when they drove up to the house. Gwen pressed the key fob and the garage door rolled up. Pulling in between Yvonne's Range Rover and her own Mercedes coupe, Gwen killed the engine. Only then did she turn to face Yvonne. The other woman had been extremely quiet on the trip over here. Not sure what to say, she too had kept to herself.

“Thank you for joining us tonight,” she said quietly.

Yvonne turned to her and Gwen was shocked by the anguish she read in the other woman's eyes. A feeling of intense helplessness came over her. She could handle an angry or arrogant Yvonne. A hurting Yvonne was something entirely different. Yvonne was a strong, powerful woman and it reflected in her demeanour. She rarely asked for help and almost never allowed herself to look vulnerable. After months of having lived estranged from each other, she was extremely uncomfortable to approach her wife now. As much as it pained her to leave the woman she still loved, hurting like this, Gwen exited the car and entered the house through the door linking the garage with the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and hearing Yvonne's footsteps behind her, made a quick escape for her study. It was only when she was safely locked up in her study that she realized she was crying. Surprised, she wiped at the tears. The night brought a lot of emotions to the surface. Firstly, she still can't believe how wonderful it was to see pure desire in Yvonne's eyes back at the bar. For a moment there, she was taken back to when they'd just started dating. They had met at a dinner hosted by Yvonne's bank. As a client of Morgan, Heath and Epps , Gwen was to represent her publishing company. With a few authors in attendance, she was quickly drawn into a number of short conversations. The official part of the event was a blur, with speaker after speaker thanking their clientele for entrusting Morgan, Heath and Epps with their investments. Just when she thought she would scream if yet another straitlaced, old man would take the podium, a tall, dark and astonishingly gorgeous woman approached the podium. She was dressed impeccably in a black Armani suit with a blood red satin blouse. The woman, her outfit, her deep voice and her intense dark eyes, everything about the woman dazzled her. With her fascination came the realization that a woman like that was way out of her league. Rich, gorgeous and powerful women didn't date women who spent more than 80 percent of their day with their noses buried in manuscripts. They went out to expensive restaurants, date socialites and celebrities and go on expensive holidays to exotic destinations. But even then she still couldn't keep her eyes off the woman. After a vulgarly overpriced dinner, she had settled for a last night cap before calling it a night. By then the alcohol was flowing freely and even the straitlaced old men were relaxing and contributing to refreshingly fun conversations. She was waiting for her drink at the bar, when she felt someone coming up next to her. With a polite smile plastered on her face she turned to the newcomer only to have her smile froze on her lips. Standing there was the gorgeous executive. Stunned, she could only stare at the tall woman. Obviously used to women and men staring at her all the time, the woman had calmly engaged her in a very interesting conversation on the various cocktails the bartenders were mixing. They had moved away to allow the free flow of guests to the bar and found a table where they'd sat and talked for the rest of the evening. She was surprised by how easy it was to talk to the woman and ecstatic to find her quite knowledgeable on a variety of topics. Feeling frumpy in her expensive dinner gown next to the intoxicating woman, Gwen first thought she was imagining herself when a few times during their conversation; she caught the woman looking at her with something more than interest. She was actually disappointed when she had to bid Yvonne goodnight.

The next day at the office a large bouquet of flowers was delivered and she rejoiced when she read the card and found it came from Yvonne. A few phone calls later and they went on their first date. When by their fifth date, all those heated looks from Yvonne had exhausted almost a month's worth of batteries for her abused vibrator; Gwen took matters in her own hands. She invited Yvonne to her apartment, plied her with a home-made meal and then seduced the woman. What she had experienced in Yvonne's arms that night had spoiled her for any other woman. Lucky for her, Yvonne stuck around after that night and after two blissfully wonderful years, popped the question. Married life was a dream. Until six months ago.

At first she'd thought Yvonne was having an affair and the pain she felt at such betrayal was almost crippling. But Yvonne kept on coming home every night and spent more time in her study. In a moment of weakness she'd confided her suspicion to Janice, Yvonne's long-time friend and personal assistant. Janice quickly dispelled her fears stating that Morgan, Heath and Epps were going through a dip and that Yvonne was working around the clock to put mitigating measures in place should the worse come to pass.

Still it didn't change anything at the home front. Knowing now that Yvonne was not cheating, she had tried to get her wife to open up to her and to offer her support. Her attempts had ended in curt dismissals and arguments, which in the end made Gwen retreat into herself. She had thought there was hope for them when, out of the blue two months ago, Yvonne suggested they try and see a marriage counsellor. They have tried and have had a few small successes with Yvonne opting to have dinner with her every other night and talking a little about her work and the challenges. As soon as the counselling session stopped, they were back to square one. Disillusioned, Gwen had stopped trying all together for it was obvious that she couldn't compete with Yvonne's job.

She was jarred from her thoughts when she heard Yvonne's footsteps coming down the hall leading to her own study. The footsteps faltered at her door, but quickly disappeared down the hall. Gwen sank down to the floor when she heard Yvonne's door click closed. A soft sob escaped her lips and she pressed her hand to her mouth.

Yvonne was so different tonight. She actually showed up at the bar. Then she gave Gwen her jacket and the most devastating act of all was when she said she still wanted a baby. Four years ago when Yvonne suggested they started a family, Gwen was beside herself with happiness. She had always dreamed of having a beautiful dark-haired girl who looked like Yvonne.

Fresh tears streaked down her cheeks. Yvonne had made herself so vulnerable tonight and even then, Gwen was so scared of hoping again. She had been hurt too much too often of late. Yvonne's sorrow filled eyes swam before her again. Her heart clenched at the memory. Yvonne had tried tonight and maybe she owed it to herself to try again too.

Just this once.

***************************

Leonie's eyes lovingly caressed the sleeping features of her wife. She smiled at the faint alcohol fumes coming off her wife. Christine was sure to have a hangover tomorrow. She grinned. Her shy wife was in her element today. There was that risqué kiss she placed on the inside of Leonie's thigh at the bar and the ensuing brawl. She had been so incredibly turned on by it all, that she had simply exhausted the poor woman. She gently brushed a dirty blonde lock from Christine's forehead.

“My baby,” she murmured softly before she brushed her lips over Christine's lips.

She remembered the day, a few weeks after they had started dating, she took Christine to meet her book club members for the first time. Although she was still getting to know Susan and Gwen better at that time, she had confided in them about Christine. The moment the other women had met Christine they were immediately charmed by the shy, beautiful, soft-spoken vet. At their next reading, they couldn't stop talking about how beautiful and perfect Christine was for her. The next challenge was to introduce Christine to Susan and Gwen's partners. She didn't have any reservations where Larissa was concerned. The police detective was a sweetheart. Her main concern was Yvonne. Powerful and stinking rich, the woman had a tendency to be curt sometimes. As expected, Christine had quickly warmed up to Larissa and to her shock; Yvonne went out of her way to make Christine feel welcome. Later that night when she had pulled Yvonne to the side to thank her for making Christine feel at home, Yvonne had simply shrugged and said that Christine reminded her lot of Gwen. As her friendship with Susan and Gwen matured, so did Larissa, Christine and Yvonne's. The other two women seemed to be very protective of Christine and yes, they were also her worse influence. She smiled tenderly as she gently traced the bruised area around Christine's eyes.

“A hangover and a shiner. You're becoming quite the rogue, my angel.”

She was surprised at Christine's sleepy reply. “Not my fault.”

She rested her head on Christine's chest. “I know, baby. I know.”

Soon afterwards she too succumbed to sleep.

***********************

Yvonne smacked her lips together and grinned drunkenly. She staggered to her feet and had to hold onto her desk to steady herself. She hadn't even realized how much she had been drinking. Abject sorrow came over her. She was tired of living like this. She was sick of feeling lonely and unhappy. She looked at the bourbon bottle. She didn't want to use alcohol as a crutch. She knew the cause of her unhappiness. Considering the late hour, the reason was fast asleep in the fourth guest bedroom. She looked over at the couch where she'd been sleeping for the three nights and sighed. She was violently sick of the smell of leather when she turned around at night. Even though they hadn't been physical in months, she still loved turning around in bed and smell the familiar citrusy scent of Gwen, feel her warmth. She pushed out her chin, her mind made up. The linens might've been changed since the last time Gwen slept in their bed, but hopefully their might be a lingering scent in the room.

With a slightly steadier gait, she left the study and made her way up the stairs to the main bedroom. The house was dark except for the few dim wall lights which lit her way. At the fourth bedroom, she stopped and listened. It was quiet inside. Her hand reached for the doorknob but it stopped halfway. How was she going to explain her presence should Gwen ask her why she was there? Dejected, she made her way further down the hall and slipped into the main bedroom. The room was dark and not bothering to switch on the light, she began stripping. Stumbling over the bed, she carefully and with reverence, pulled back the covers. It was after all her marriage bed although she hadn't slept in it for a while now. She slowly got in and was just about to pull the duvet over her when she encountered warm flesh. With a shriek she shot upright.

“Lie down,” came a calm voice.

Recognizing the voice, Yvonne slowly lay down. The silence in the room was so deep; Yvonne struggled to hear her own breathing. Gwen's citrusy scent filled the room making her wonder how she could've missed it in the first place.

“Gwen?”

There was a soft rustling of sheets. “Yes?”

Not knowing what to say after the confirmation, she said the first thing that came to her mind. “I'm drunk?”

“I know.”

The room was again dumped in silence. Yvonne ached to move closer so she could feel Gwen's body pressed against hers, but even drunk, her courage deserted her. When it became evident that Gwen wasn't going to say anything, Yvonne steeled herself for what she was about to say.

“I missed you.”

Seconds slowly ticked by as she waited nervously for Gwen to respond. She was just about to give up when Gwen moved. The next moment the room was bathed in soft light. Turning over on her back, Yvonne met Gwen's eyes. They were suspiciously clear for someone whom she'd thought must've been asleep.

“You don't trust me anymore?” She had hoped to sound less devastated, but she failed. Gwen looked at her.

“It's not that I don't trust you,” Gwen said softly. “I trust you but I'm not sure if I can trust your job not to come between us again.”

Guilt, shame and hope fought for supremacy as Yvonne held Gwen's gaze. She had messed up big time, but at least it seems like Gwen was not totally against the idea of trying again.

“Gwen…”

“No, Yvonne, let me finish.” Yvonne nodded and Gwen continued. “I can't expect you to choose between me and your career. I fell in love with you knowing how important your career was to you.” Gwen bit down on her lower lip as if she was steeling herself for what she had to say next. “You are a great provider, but I need a wife too.” The last was said in such a forlorn tone that Yvonne felt like punching herself in the face for her dreadful neglect of her wife. “I don't think I'll survive another…” Gwen turned away again, but not before she saw the pain in Gwen's eyes.

Yvonne leaned closer and gently cupped Gwen's cheek. It's been so long since she'd touched her wife, that she was stunned by the pleasant tingling running up her arm.

“Hey…” When Gwen refused to look at her, Yvonne carefully turned Gwen's face until their eyes met. “I hate to think that being with me is so painful for you, but I hate it more knowing that you're unhappy being with me.” It hurt more than anything to say this to Gwen. It was like telling her that she was fine with Gwen finding someone else and moving on. But if she wanted another chance with Gwen then she needed to be honest and realistic. Gwen's eyes widened slightly at her confession. “I don't want to lose you, Gwen. I love you too much to let you go, but if you are too scared to try again, I will accept.” Shut up, Yvonne! She had already said too much to stop now. “Tonight I saw how happy our friends were. We used to be happy like that once too.” She searched Gwen's eyes and saw a flicker of sadness. “I believe we can be happy again, if not more than we were before.”

“What are you saying, Yvonne?” Gwen opened her eyes. “Do you want us to try again?”

Yvonne licked suddenly dry lips. “Yes, but only if you want it too.”

For a long, silent moment they simply looked at each other. Yvonne sat motionless as Gwen's eyes flitted over her face, reading her.

“I'm not going to make promises of how I'm going to change to make this work, Gwen.” At the doubtful look in Gwen's eyes, she quickly continued. “I want to show you instead.”

“How?” Gwen asked with a small frown.

At least she was curious, Yvonne thought. That was a good sign. It also afforded her the opportunity to tease Gwen a little.

“Now that would be telling, won't it,” she said with a smile. “The only way to find out would be to give us another chance.”

A small smile tugged at Gwen's lips. It was a welcoming sight and Yvonne mentally kept her fingers crossed.

*****************************

“Hey? You asleep?” Susan leaned over so she could see Larissa's face. Her wife was fast asleep. Taking the phone she smiled when she heard soft snoring come over the line. Their little talk seemed to have done the trick. Roman was also fast asleep. She disconnected the call and placing the phone on the nightstand, curled herself around her wife. She inhaled deeply and wrinkled her nose at the musky smell of sweat and sex. The night was successful although there were still so many deliciously sinful toys she'd wanted to try out on her wife.

Larissa moaned in her sleep and turned. Facing each other, Susan revelled in the beauty of her wife. Larissa's raven black hair was plastered against her scalp and Susan gently brushed her hand over the sweaty locks.

The first time she'd caught sight of the beautiful dark detective, Larissa's hair was slightly windblown with an errand lock falling over her forehead. From where she'd been talking to another principal of a nearby school, Susan had to physically restrain herself from walking over to the tall detective and comb her fingers through the unruly dark locks. Larissa had looked up at that exact moment and their eyes had met across the room. With a faint smile, Larissa had combed her fingers through her hair, making Susan quiver with desire as the long fingers glided through the silky strands.

The first time she allowed herself to comb through Larissa's hair was a couple of weeks after their first meeting at the Mayor's mansion. She had taken Larissa on a tour of the school. The school grounds were deserted since the students had left earlier to prepare for a football match against a rival school. Larissa was in the process of advising her on how to keep gangs off the school grounds and to implement stricter measures on keeping the students safe from gang-affiliated elements. It was a slightly windy day and they were exploring the northern parameters of the school, closer to the sports grounds. Larissa was dismayed to notice and recognize some of the graffiti on the bleachers as territorial markings of a particularly vicious local gang. Susan had suspected as much already when the groundskeeper reported acts of vandalism at the sport field. She had watched the detective as the woman stood with her hands in her pants pockets, intently studying the graffiti while a breeze playfully tugged at the gleaming dark curls. To this day she still didn't know what had come over her to do what she'd done next, but she would never regret what she'd done. With her heart thumping loudly in her chest, she'd stepped around Larissa and brushed her locks from her broad forehead. Larissa had stood frozen, her eyes wide in shock, staring at her. Susan had leaned close and gently brushed her lips over the detective's. By the time her brain kicked in and she realized what she was doing, it was too late. Larissa's lips parted and Susan couldn't stop herself from having her first real taste of the sexy detective.

Larissa moaned again, pulling her from her thoughts and Susan was surprised to find sleepy black eyes looking at her.

“Go back to sleep, baby,” she whispered softly. “I'm sorry I woke you.”

Larissa gave her a sweet smile, before her eyes fluttered closed. Affected by the smile, Susan sighed softly and closed her eyes too. Her heart swelled with emotion when Larissa burrowed deeper into her body.

***********************

Yvonne wrinkled her nose and took a deep breath before her eyes fluttered open. Coffee. Eager to track down the heavenly smell, she slowly turned her head. She smiled when she spotted the steaming cup of coffee on the nightstand. Just what she needed. Pushing herself up on her elbow she reached for the cup. Just as suddenly her hand stopped halfway. Coffee in bed? Who would do that? She quickly took in the room. Something wasn't right. How did she end up here?

“I thought you might like a cup of coffee,” a soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

Seeking out the voice, she saw Gwen sitting on the loveseat under the window, sipping what she assumed was coffee. For a moment Yvonne could only stare at her wife as she tried to shift through her muddled thoughts. As the previous night's memories slowly surfaced, she sat up straighter. One memory in particular stuck.

Gwen never answered her. With sobriety came the realization that Gwen didn't answer because she wasn't interested in trying again. Her silent perusal caused a small frown to form on Gwen's face.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly as she slowly moved from the loveseat to sit on the bed next to Yvonne. With Gwen so close, Yvonne struggled to make eye contact lest she embarrassed herself by crying again. She'd done a lot of that last night already. Not that it was her intention, but if her tears hadn't meant anything to Gwen last night, it surely wouldn't have a different reaction this morning. Yvonne's breath caught in her throat when a soft hand cupped her cheek. “Are you hung-over? I woke you up last night to give you an aspirin. Didn't it work?”

The genuine concern in Gwen's voice was suddenly too much for her to bear and exploding out of bed, Yvonne made a dash for the bathroom. Before she reached the bathroom, her face was already wet with tears.

“Yvonne?” Gwen called out softly, but the slamming of the bathroom door blocked out her voice.

Yvonne rushed over to the washbowl and splashed her face with cold water. Still, the tears came, leaving warm streaks on her cheeks. This is not going to work. She violently rubbed at the tears. Being in such close proximity with Gwen and not being able to touch her was too painful. She'll have to put some distance between them. And it didn't mean a couple rooms or a storey between them. Yvonne sank to her knees. She'll have to move out. Fresh tears coursed down her face. The significance of moving out was not lost on her. It would mean the end of their marriage. She dropped her face in her hands. How could she have let things get so far? Her father was a workaholic who eventually pushed her mother too far until Janice didn't have a choice but to take their daughter and leave. To this day, although remarried, Yvonne could still see the yearning in her father's eyes when he looked at her mother. Janice, just like Gwen, was a catch and when Senator Harold Ogilvy came courting, Janice quickly fell for the gentle, soft-spoken politician. Her mother was happy, truly happy, and only had eyes for her husband.

That was her destiny now. Just like her father and her mother, she'll have to admire Gwen from afar. She'll yearn and keep on kicking herself for letting such a wonderful woman slip through her fingers.

“Yvonne,” Gwen called out, her voice muffled by the thick door. “Are you okay in there? Do you need help with anything?”

Yes. I need you to tell me that you'll stay with me, Yvonne screamed silently. She slowly climbed to her feet and washed her face again.

“I'm okay,” she shouted over her shoulder. “I just wanted to brush my teeth.” That will give her time to compose herself.

*****************************

Leonie lazily licked the sweat off Christine's shoulder as she listened to her wife's ragged breathing. Every time her tongue caressed the glistening skin, she could feel a slight shudder run through Christine's body.

“Baby?”

“Hmmm,” Christine murmured softly.

“Are you not hung-over?” After all the drinking last night, Christine surely must be feeling the after-effects of the night.

“A little.”

Leonie pulled back so she could see Christine's face. Christine's cheeks were red from the exertion of their frantic lovemaking, but her bloodshot eyes attested to the woman's hung-over state. Leonie had left her wife sleeping in the shed to start on breakfast when Christine had slipped in through the backdoor and ambushed her. She gently brushed over Christine's rumpled hair before turning around and reaching behind her for the aspirin and the glass of water. She was going to take it to Christine as soon as the coffee was ready. Opening the bottle, she shook out two pills and held them to Christine's lips. She smiled tenderly when Christine obediently opened her mouth. Next she reached for the bottle of water and watched as Christine drank thirstily. When Christine pulled away, she finished the rest of the water.

“Why don't you go lie down for a while and I'll bring you some coffee. Would you like that?” Christine nodded. Leonie simply loved taking care of her woman. Christine gently pulled away and Leonie hissed at the sensation. She watched as Christine pulled up her pants and grinned when Christine handed her her panties and tank top. After a quick kiss Christine exited the kitchen.

Leonie jumped from the marble island and giggled when her legs almost gave out from under her. Christine was extremely thorough. Once she was sure her legs could carry her again, she dressed quickly and humming happily, returned to her task of making breakfast. She took a moment to caress her flat tummy. If they were lucky, by next year this time, she might have a little person growing inside of her.

************************

Larissa drained her cup of coffee and leaned back against the headboard. She could hear the shower running and Susan's off-key rendition of Brittany Spears' Oops, I did it again . She grinned at her wife's gloating. If she hadn't felt like death warmed up, she would've shown her wife who had bragging rights. But for now, she had to take it easy and move as little as possible to let the painkillers work.

The bathroom door opened and a cloud of steam followed Susan out. Larissa moaned at the sight of her naked wife. It was a sin for one woman to look so beautiful.

“You look much better now. Must be the coffee,” Susan said as she moved around the room, picking up scattered pieces of clothing. When she woke up this morning, Susan had already broken down their little Bedouin love nest and had run out to get them some coffee. Feeling guilty lying about while her wife was cleaning up, she slowly sat up and had to swallow at the bile rising in her throat.

“Hey, you okay. Why don't you try not to move too much? Let the aspirins do their job.” Susan had moved fast and soundlessly and was standing before Larissa. Moaning, Larissa pressed her face into her wife's naked tummy. She caught sight of the dark triangle and sighed helplessly. She hated Yvonne and her shooters now more that earlier when she woke up with a splitting headache and a cottonmouth. Susan's fingers comb through her hair, the rhythmic action soothing and almost hypnotic. She loved it when Susan played with her hair. Her head hurt too much now for her to recall why she loved it so much. But there was a specific reason why she did.

“Come, lie down. I'll just clean up a bit and then I'll hold you,” Susan said and gently helped Larissa to lie down. The pillow her head rested on smelled faintly of Susan and nuzzling into the fluffy pillow, Larissa closed her eyes. Very soon she'll have the real thing to snuggle up to. With the sound of Susan moving around the room and her scent clinging to the pillow, Larissa was quickly lulled into a warm peaceful cocoon. They still had the whole day to spend together before they had to collect the boys.

She was vaguely aware of Susan joining her a few minutes later, curling her long naked body around hers.

“I love you,” she murmured. It felt so important that she had to say that at that exact moment. There had never been a moment where she felt it not important to tell her wife how much she loved her. This moment however just seemed extra important.

Gwen stopped her pacing and threw another worried glance at the closed bathroom door. Ten minutes? Who brushed their teeth for so long? She turned away from the door, gnawing on her lower lip. Maybe Yvonne had changed her mind about giving them another try. The pain that lanced through her made her bite down harder on her lip. She hadn't slept a wink last night thinking about what Yvonne had said. In between thinking about Yvonne's words and staring at her beautiful sleeping wife, she had finally come to a decision. She wanted to try again, but she didn't want to tell Yvonne while the other woman was still under the influence. She had told Yvonne to go to sleep and rest wanting to have a moment to herself to weigh up the options. Thanks to her inebriated state, Yvonne had fallen asleep, although reluctantly. Now, when she was ready to talk about it, Yvonne seemed to be having second thoughts. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking last night. Maybe she should let it go. She turned to look at the door again . No. She owed it to herself to try again. She needed to know before she let go. It was now or never. She took a deep breath and walked to the door.

She turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open. Yvonne stood in front of the washbowl, her back to the door. Their eyes met in the mirror's reflection. Yvonne's were red and swollen, her face wet with tears. It was the anguish in her wife's eyes that made Gwen pushed passed her insecurities and walked over to place her hand against Yvonne's back. She was shocked when the other woman turned and threw herself in Gwen's arms. Gwen's concern intensified at the desperation with which Yvonne held her.

“I don't want to be like my dad,” Yvonne said in a broken whisper.

Confused, Gwen gently rubbed the distraught woman's back. What did Yvonne's dad have to do with this? “What do you mean?”

Yvonne's arms tightened even further. “He's not happy anymore and it's his fault.” Yvonne's voice was muffled where she had her face pressed in Gwen's neck, but Gwen could make out the words.

“Why are you saying that?” she asked gently. Yvonne shook her head and Gwen felt a shudder run through Yvonne's body.

“He let my mom walk away.”

Gwen was aware of her in-law's situation, but she still didn't understand the link between Yvonne's reaction now and them. She leaned back and gently lifted Yvonne's head so she could look into her eyes.

“Why are you talking about them now, Yvonne? I don't understand.” Fresh tears streaked down Yvonne's face. “Please make me understand. I want to help you,” she pleaded softly. Yvonne was the most rational person she knew and seeing her like this and saying all these weird things, worried her.

“You're leaving me,” Yvonne said quietly, avoiding eye contact. “I will be unhappy like him for the rest of my life.”

It all finally made sense to Gwen and with it came hope. Yvonne wasn't having second thoughts. Cupping her wife's cheeks, Gwen turned Yvonne's face so their eyes met.

“Who says I'm leaving you, Yvonne?” Her eyes raked over Yvonne's pale face. “I would be stupid to let you go.” She meant every word.

Yvonne's eyes widened slightly. “Even after everything I've put you through?” There was a sliver of doubt in Yvonne's voice.

Gwen smiled. “We've gone through it together and I'm still here, am I not?”

******************

Yvonne desperately wanted to believe Gwen. If it was true then why does it feel so surreal? She carefully studied Gwen's eyes. If anything, Gwen was a terrible liar. Her eyes were too expressive. All in all, Gwen was not deceitful and at that moment Yvonne saw only love and concern.

“You're serious,” she whispered. “You wouldn't lie to me.”

Gwen's smile widened. “I'm serious and no, I wouldn't lie to you.” She slowly opened her arms, her eyes encouraging. “May I hold you for a moment…please?”

Yvonne hesitated for a moment, only a moment. In that moment all she could see was her father's face, his pain and yearning when he looked at her mother. Looking at Gwen, fresh tears filled up her eyes. She was given another chance. Swallowing back the tears, she moved into Gwen's arms. Almost immediately, her body relaxed as soon as Gwen's arms locked around her body. Months of tension, fear, pain and regret seeped out of her as she was cradled in Gwen's loving arms.

“I'm so sorry, Gwen,” she said, her voice muffled where her face was pressed into Gwen's neck.

Gwen's arms tightened around her. “It's all over now. I love you and I know we can make this work.”

She pulled back to look into Gwen's misty eyes. “I love you too.” She slowly leaned forward, hesitantly. She desperately wanted to kiss Gwen. They've exchanged a verbal commitment, but she needed more. Gwen's kisses never lied. “May I kiss you?”

Gwen tenderly traced a finger down her cheek. “Sure, as long as I may kiss you back.”

When their lips met, a familiar thrill coursed through Yvonne's body. She gasped softly against Gwen's lips. The memory of their first ‘real' kiss surfaced unexpectedly. Gwen had invited her to her apartment for a home-cooked meal. After the meal, and at the behest of Gwen, they had danced to a slow Tracy Chapman song. With Gwen's body so close and so tantalizingly inviting, Yvonne knew that it was time for her to make an excuse and leave. Wining and dining women was nothing new to her. She always got what she'd wanted in the end. In most cases she got lucky on the first date. But Gwen was different. Five dates later, Yvonne had found that she wanted Gwen more than anything else in the world. She already knew then that she wanted to be with the blonde… wanted to belong to her. Reluctantly, she had said goodbye to Gwen, using work the next day as an excuse. Gwen had nodded, but it was evident that she too wasn't ready for the night to end. At the door, they had looked at each other, not sure if the sixth date warranted a real goodnight kiss after the pecks of the cheeks of the past two months. Yvonne knew that a real kiss would be her undoing and had settled for a kiss on the cheek. At the last moment, Gwen had turned her head and their lips had met.

Their first kiss was magical. Everything else faded into nothingness as they tentatively tasted each other, testing the other's resolve. When they pulled away, Gwen shook her head slowly, her voice broken when she spoke.

“I can't let you go. Not tonight. Not after that kiss.”

With her eyes fixed on Gwen's glistening lips, Yvonne could only nod. Too scared to say anything, lest she broke the spell, she had allowed Gwen to lead her down the hallway to her bedroom.

“Hey. Where are you?”

Yvonne blinked and smiled when she met Gwen's amused gaze. She cleared her throat softly. “I was reliving our first kiss.”

Gwen chuckled softly. “Only the kiss?” She gently pushed her fingers through Yvonne's short hair. Yvonne almost swooned when Gwen raked her fingers over her scalp. From the way Gwen's eyes darkened, it was obvious that she knew the effect she had on her.

“I was going to get to the rest,” Yvonne mumbled lamely as she tried to keep her thoughts from trailing to what had happened in Gwen's king-sized bed after the kiss. They were only now trying to fix their relationship. She doubted Gwen would allow her to do even a quarter of the things she'd done to her that night, today. But even then she couldn't stop the desire from thickening her blood.

******************************

Gwen could see the desire in Yvonne's eyes and she rejoiced at it. This was the second time in less than twenty four hours that she saw the dark eyes flash with desire. Deep down she knew it was too early for them to simply jump into bed while there was still so much work to be done to their relationship. However, they could still spend the day together and catch up on what's been happening in each other's lives. That's a solid start; the rest will hopefully just fall in place as they go along.

“Do you have to go into the office today?” she asked carefully.

Yvonne shrugged. “It's Saturday.” The dark eyes looked at her pleadingly. “Would you like to hang out with me today? I mean…you know….that's if…”

Completely charmed to see this very confident woman, her wife, stumbling to get her to go out with her, Gwen pulled Yvonne in for a deep, hungry kiss.

“As long as it's somewhere public,” she muttered against Yvonne's lips and watched as Yvonne's eyes snapped open. “I don't think you'll be safe with me in an unsupervised location today.”

“I heard that, Yvonne,” Christine snapped. “What the hell's wrong with you guys anyway? That's all that you do nowadays.”

Yvonne looked down into Gwen's flushed face and mouthed an apology. Gwen quickly shook her head, mouthing back ‘NO'.

“We'll be right down, Chris,” Yvonne shouted over her shoulder.

“Okay. I'm about to fire up the grill.”

“I'll join you soon,” Yvonne replied quickly and listened as Christine's footsteps moved away from the door and down the hallway. “We have to go, baby. I promised to help Christine,” she whispered to Gwen.

“Not before you take care of me first,” Gwen whispered back and tightened her legs around Yvonne's waist. She leaned back against the wall and thrust her hips forward. She grinned when Yvonne moaned softly. “I'm so close already.”

Yvonne tightened her arms around Gwen. “Then you better hold on, love. This will be a very bumpy ride.” She surged forward and hissed when Gwen reacted to the movement by biting down hard on her shoulder.

***************************

“They at it again?” Leonie asked when Christine strode into the kitchen. At her wife's look, she smiled. “They are more in love now than they ever were.”

Christine came over to Leonie and gently kissed her. “But that much sex could not be healthy.”

Leonie threw her head back as she laughed. “They have no kids listening in on their mommies and they are still young and gorgeous. Let them be, honey.”

“Okay. Do you need me to help you with the salads?” Christine asked as she walked over to the fridge.

Leonie walked over and hugged her wife from behind. “I've got it, go check to see if our guests need anything.”

“Not at all, darling,” Leonie said and kissed Christine. “You're about to be a mommy and you're simply acting like a mommy-to-be.” She took hold of Christine's hand and placed it over her protruding belly. At six months, she was carrying rather big and with the summer heat, she struggled a little to adjust to everything. Thus, she could understand Christine's concern. “I'll be fine, Chris. You're doing so much already; I can't expect you to take over everything.”

Christine sighed deeply. “But I want to…please.”

Leonie swallowed at the knot in her throat. Just when she thought Christine couldn't be any sweeter, her wife simply floored her with her selflessness and love. She pulled Christine as close as her tummy allowed and kissed her deeply.

“I swear I'm never letting you go.”

*******************************

“That was a foul, referee,” Larissa shouted as she pushed her fingers through her hair. “Who the hell decided that she be the referee anyways?”

“Maybe because she's a professional, FIFA appointed referee,” Susan noted quietly. She shrugged when Larissa skewered her with a poisonous look. “What? I'm just saying.”

“Well, so much for being a professional. That was nowhere near a penalty,” Larissa fumed.

Susan nodded. “I hear you, dear.”

Larissa gave her another long look, before she came to sit next to her. “I'm acting like an idiot, aren't I?”

Susan leaned closer and gently straightened Larissa's rumpled locks. They were in the backyard of Christine and Leonie's house watching their boys playing football with the neighbourhood kids. They rarely indulged in PDA but with all the parents present being either gay or bi-sexual, she felt comfortable cuddling her big baby a little.

“You're far from being an idiot, my love. I must admit that the referee has made some dubious calls, but the boys still seem to enjoy themselves.” She turned her attention back to the makeshift soccer pitch and smiled. “George has the ball.”

Larissa surged to her feet and cheered as her son dribbled passed three defenders to score.

“That's my boy,” she yelled as she held up her thumbs to her positively glowing son. “I knew they weren't going to take it lying down.”

Susan smiled as she studied her dark-haired sons celebrate their team's comeback. Larissa sat down next to her again and Susan reached for her hand. They sat in companion silence watching the match when a flustered looking Yvonne and Gwen joined them.

“What's the score,” Gwen asked.

“It's two all,” Susan said as she studied her friend. “You were in the guest bathroom again, weren't you?”

She grinned when the couple blushed. Larissa giggled at the couple's obvious discomfort.

“You guys should enjoy it while you can. Once the invasion of the little people begin, you'll be lucky if you'll get any time alone.”

Yvonne quickly came to her feet. “I'll …uh…Chris needs my help at the grill.”

“Just make sure you wash your hands first,” Larissa teased and laughed as a blushing Yvonne hurried off to join Chris. She turned to Gwen, but a warning glare from Susan made her shrug. “I'll go help at the grill too.”

Susan watched the tall frame of her wife as she walked away. “They'll never grow up.”

“But that's what's making them so much fun to be with,” Gwen added. “So, what's the latest?”

Susan sighed deeply. “We have to see the doctor tomorrow.”

Gwen reached for Susan's hand. “You are the best parents I know. Look how well the boys turned out.”

Susan looked to where her sons ran after the ball. “Yes, and we want more. Hopefully the doctor will have some good news. My period's late, but I don't want to get my hopes up too soon.” She squeezed Gwen's hand. “And you? When can we expect little Morgan-Eppsies to fill up your mansion?”

Gwen blushed prettily. “Well, we've been talking about it for a while now. Yvonne can't wait to be a mom and I love her for that.”

The shrill sound of the whistle signalled the end of the match and Susan came to her feet to accept enthusiastic hugs from her sons, before they kissed Gwen and ran off to join their mother.

“You two are so happy and I think you'll make great parents.” She held out her hand to Gwen. Shall we go help Leonie in the kitchen?”